Grace-Snellville - Teachings | gfc.tv

Water into wine. Cleansing the Temple. Nic at night. For many of us, these images of Jesus in John’s Gospel can be troubling. I mean, how many Christians do you know would be scandalized by the thought of Jesus with wine? Or offended by Him wielding a whip? Or distanced by Jesus’ total rejection of Nicodemus’s upright way of life? In a brilliant stroke of inspiration, however, John holds each of these portraits together so that we might see something so important and beautiful that it would change the way we live forever. Downloads

According to John's Gospel, our world is a mess because our world doesn't know who God is. But at the heart of John's beautiful, inspired book is an incredibly simple but powerful truth: Jesus reveals God to us. Not everything revealed, however, is seen. A billboard that stands in the middle of an empty field with no roads nearby makes no impact. And not everything seen is received. Each of us looks at billboards daily that make no impact whatsoever on our lives or decisions. So how can we see and receive what Jesus reveals in order to make sense of the mess in the world? This is what John 1:19-2:12 is all about, and I'm looking forward to reading it together. Downloads  

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” John 1:14 is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture, describing the great journey that Jesus made from the culture of heaven to the culture of earth, where we could “behold his glory.” Often we have asked what this verse means theologically–what does it say about God? Perhaps we have pondered it metaphysically–how can the divine become flesh? We will consider what this passage means missionally–because at the core of John’s Gospel we see God’s great heart for all nations. As we consider this passage, we will celebrate how God has worked through our church in the nations, pray together, worship, and hopefully even open our lives to the leading of God’s Spirit into his calling for all nations. Downloads

One of the most striking things about the Gospel of John is the way in which the great, cosmic story of God intersects with the lives of ordinary people. The book begins with images and words on the grandest scale. The first 18 verses, also known as the “Prologue,” tell how God, in Christ, is bringing forth the light of new creation to redeem the whole universe. Then, in the very next chapters, the book tells how Jesus brings this redemption among simple, everyday people. Instead of great courtroom dramas or important political showdowns or “significant” decisions among the powerful, we see Jesus bringing new life in the most ordinary situations. The effect is rather shocking. After all, what place does a crippled beggar or a struggling Samaritan lady or a family who can’t afford to host a proper wedding have in the great plans of God for the universe? Sometimes, it’s difficult to believe that ordinary people like us have a place in the plans of the mighty, creator God. And yet that is precisely why John's Gospel was written–to help us believe. Downloads

I've always loved the week between Christmas and New Year's for many reasons–Bowl games between anonymous football teams, time off from school, and some great sales for those with patience among us. (I am not usually patient enough to take advantage of the sales). But at a deeper level, this week seems to be a bit quieter than many others, often affording a little time to reflect on the year behind and the year ahead. We will be reading from one of my favorite texts in the Book of Acts. There, we will see how Paul looks back and goes forth during one of his great journeys. As we read, we will find that remembering is much more than merely reciting the facts of the past and vision is much more than simply coming up with an idea for the future. My prayer is that with our families we will be able to enter into this week after Christmas looking back and forth with wisdom and insight from the Lord! Downloads

This is a very special Sunday gathering at Grace, as over 100 students are involved in worship and drama and we wrap up our study of the prophets. Downloads

Just for a moment, I'd like you to think about joy, which is the theme of the third week of Advent. When was the last time you felt a deep sense of joy? Who is the most joyful person you know? Now, think about your perception of God. Would you use “joyful” to describe him? Lots of people imagine that God is dour, stern, and generally not joyful. Sometimes, we even think that God forbids fun. But Micah says that God “delights in steadfast love” (7:18). And as we finish reading the words of this prophet, we will see that his journey from woe to joy was anchored in the truth that God is in himself the source of true joy. Downloads

Have you ever thought about how frequently we use the word “peace”? We use it as a greeting. We say it as we leave a place. We hope those who have passed away will rest in it. For our beauty pageant contestants, it has become the clichéd response when asked about their goals for the world. Our leaders and politicians speak of roadmaps and pathways toward it. At Christmas, we remember the angels’ announcement that–glory to God!–it had come “on earth.” But for many of us, the word “peace” appears far more often in our daily speech than the substance of peace is a reality in our daily experience. Fortunately, in the book of Micah, we find God's words of peace spoken to a peace-less people. I pray that we too will know the things that make for real peace in our day. Downloads

This year, sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a much older (and arguably more important) date on the calendar of our faith: Hope Sunday. This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, the season in which we prepare to celebrate the "arrival," or "advent," of Jesus in Bethlehem. Our text will be Micah 5, which is one of the most beautiful, hopeful, and "Christmasy" prophesies in the entire Old Testament. All week, Micah's words–written to a people besieged in hopelessness 700 years before the birth of Jesus–have been inspiring fresh conviction in me to continue putting my faith in the hope Jesus brought and continues to bring. Downloads

For the last two weeks, I've had the great privilege of traveling through Israel/Palestine. It is truly one of the most remarkable places on earth, full of incredible history, breathtaking vistas, and beautiful people. It is also an enormous mess. If you've followed the recent news from the region, you've seen that the frequency of violent encounters between Israelis and Palestinians has dramatically increased during the last month. While we were there, we heard reports almost daily of killings, reprisals, and homes being bulldozed. In fact, things got so bad after a failed assassination attempt against an activist rabbi that the Israelis closed down access to the Temple Mount for only the second time since 1967, resulting in riots and clashes between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews. As several Jewish friends said during the trip, "Jerusalem is burning." As we traveled, I spent a lot of time thinking and praying about this seemingly hopeless situation. But this conflict is just one example of the complex and often overwhelming circumstances we often face in our own places and lives. In such times, how does God call us to respond? What should we do when we face the facts, and the facts are awful? As I pondered these questions, I was incredibly grateful to be reading the the book of Micah, for his prophetic words brought me great hope. I look forward to sharing them together. Downloads

What does God want? There is a little-known prophet named Micah. Micah’s name means, “Who is like Jehovah?” God commissioned this spokesman to clear up any miscalculation. If you have ever wondered just what it is God wants from you, we will find out from scripture and you will never have to speculate. Downloads

How would you like to hear Jesus teach? What do you think He would say? How do you think people would react? We do not have to wonder. This Sunday-and for a number of Sundays to come-we will open our Bibles to the very words of Jesus to hear his "Sermon on the Mount." These are possibly the most powerful words ever spoken, and the people reacted with "astonishment." Come, let's ponder this marvelous, mind-blowing, turn-the-world-upside-down manifesto of King Jesus for the first week of our Summer Together. Come, let's be astonished! Downloads

In the book of Nehemiah, God's people complete the massive project of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls against all odds. Then, they experience an amazing revival of passion for God, resulting in a series of beautiful promises to follow him more closely than ever. But then, as the book comes to a close, we find that in spite of their great project and greater promises, they remain a people in process who fail, drift, and even forget about God. Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever done great projects with God? Made great promises? And then been discouraged by your own lack of long-term progress in the process? This week, as we gather for Pentecost Sunday, we will learn about the one hope we have that they did not—the one hope that can lead us from our broken process and into glory. Downloads

Have you ever finished a task or fulfilled a responsibility or even ended a season of life, and then—almost before you can enjoy your accomplishment—you start to wonder what will happen next? And it’s hard to find the answer that question because that great project or intense time had become so consuming that you’re not even sure who you are without it? This is where the people in the Book of Nehemiah find themselves in Chapters 7-10. The wall has been completed. But what’s next? And how can we learn from Nehemiah to walk forward from task to task in wisdom? Downloads

Have you ever been distracted in the middle of an important job? What about discouraged? Have you ever felt like you never finish some of the things you want to finish most? Nehemiah 6:9 says “But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” No matter how many times it feels like the script of unfinished tasks and disappointing efforts repeats in your life, the book of Nehemiah can help. In this sermon Jon Stallsmith teaches from Nehemiah 6-7 about how we can withstand distraction, defamation and deception and finish the work God has called us to. Downloads